Norrls pe



l mv; /Y .we e l Patented June 21, 1892.

H. PIETSCH, J1.

(No Model.)

BLOCK FOR STEREOTYPES. &c. -No. 477,591.

*LV N/ W 7 auf y UNITE TATES.

HERMAN FIETSCH, JR., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO DANIEL NV. RYAN,OF SAME PLACE.

BLOCK FOR .STEREOTYPES, 82.0.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 477,591, dated June 21,1892.

Application iilcd August 20, 1888. Serial No. 283,173. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN FIETSCH, Jr., of Chicago, in the State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in BlocksforStereotype or Electroty pe Plates, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to improvements in base-blocks forstereotype-plates and :means for locking the same for printing; and theobject of my improvements is to furnish a base blocker plate whereondifferent sizes of electrotype-plates may be used and means for lockingthe same, as required in book-printing. i

The invention consists in a base plate or block having a flat uppersurface ,provided with a series of dovetail grooves or their equivalent,in combination with lockingpieces adapted to slide freely in the bottomor lower portion of said grooves, each of said locking-pieces beingprovided with abscrew adapted to slide in the top of said grooves andprovided with a head of greater diameter than the width of said 4groovesat the top, whereby the locking-piece may be firmly fixed at any pointalong the length of said grooves by tightening the screw.

The invention consists, further, in a slotted quoin adapted to be usedin connection with the screw-heads and locking-piece for producinglateral pressure against the edges of the electrotype-plates.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure lis a top or plan View of a base plate or block made according tothe invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmentary sectional views taken onthe line 2 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of thelocking-piece enlarged. Fig. 5 is a fragment of an enlarged plan view.

A designates the base block or plate, which is adapted to be put in thepress the same as an ordinary chase. The top surface is level andprovided with dovetail grooves a, which are preferably run diagonallyacross the baseblock and extend clear out at its edges. Rule- Y lines amay be employed as guides to facilitate the justifying of thestereotype-plates in position on the base-block.

B is the locking-piece, which is adapted to fit into the bottom or-lower portion of the grooves a and may be entered at either end of anyof said grooves and moved along through the same freely, but cannot belifted out through the narrow part at the top of the groove. .A screw bis placed in a threaded l hole in the top of the locking-piece, so thatthe upper part or body of the screw above the lockingpiecc will passthrough the narrow part of the groove and the head will project abovethe surface of the basc-plate and extend laterallyon both sides of thegroove. By tightening the screw in the locking-piece when in one of saidgrooves the screw-head will be brought against the upper surface of thebase-plate and cause the locking-piece to be raised and tightened in thegroove at any point along its length.

C is the stereotype-plate, which has beveled or rabbeted edges adaptedto it under the edge of the screw-head. W'hen said plate is placed onthe baseplate, its edges will lie across the grooves a of saidbase-plate, and by sliding the locking pieces in the said grooves thescrew heads are brought up against the edges and may then be tightenedso as to hold the plate down on the base. A sufficient number of thelocking-pieces with screws is provided to furnish one or more to eachedge, at the ends and sides, of each of the stereotype-plates to belocked on the baseblock. It is obvious that a screw-head can, by themeans shown, be readily brought against each edge of one or morestereotypeplates placed anywhere on the top surface of the base-plateand that a series of such plates can thus be locked in place inbook-form thereon.

D designates a quoin consisting of a rectangular' plate provided with adiagonal slot d, in which is itted a piece (Z, which has a hole for thescrew ZJ to pass through to the locking-piece B, by means of which saidpiece d maybe tightened on the upper face of the base-plate, so that thequoin may slide thereon. I-Ioles e are provided in the quoin-piece andthe piece CZ, into which a key may be applied to force the quoin, bysliding it on the ieee ci when fixed to the baseplate,

against the edge of the plate C adjacent thereto. The quoin is designedmerely for IOO applying lateral pressure against the edges of the platesin a direction parallel to the face 0f the base-plate, as may berequired in some cases, as when the largest or thickest stereotypeplates are used. Ordinarily, however, the locking-pieces With thescrew-heads alone will answer, lateral pressure to a greater degree thancan be given by pushing the screwhcads against the edge of the plat-ewith the fingers not being required.

Vhat is claimed is- 1. A base plate or block for stereotypeplates,having a flat top surface provided with a series of dovetail grooves, incombination with looking-pieces adapted to slide in Jthe bottom or lowerportion of said grooves and having screws adapted to project through thetop or narrow part of said grooves, the heads of the screws overlappingthe grooves, substantially as specified.

2. A quoin consisting of a rectangular piece provided with a diagonalslot and a piece d itted'therein and a screw b for attaching the piece dto the base-plate, the quoin-piece and piece d being provided with holese, as and for the purpose specified.

i HERMAN FIETSOH, JR.

Witnesses:

J. H. KEHM, J No. H. WHIPPLE.

